Computer systems having the ability to function in accordance with the now well known "desktop publishing" have been provided for a number of years as the power and capability of computers and printers have increased. While such systems vary somewhat, they each typically rely upon a computer having a processor unit and supporting a display monitor together with a printer. In many instances, the printer is preferably a color printer to provide a more professional looking output of printed media. Desktop publishing software may be obtained from a number of software providers which is used by the computer to create images at the user's selection upon the display monitor which are then passed to the printer for a hard copy of the selected design. A great deal of power and flexibility is provided in such systems including the ability to store a plurality of image elements for selection and inclusion into a given to-be-printed image. In most instances, the computer system utilizes a mouse device and a menu-driven software arrangement in which much of the work done to assemble the image on the display is accomplished by simple "point and click" mouse operation.
Thus, such systems are capable of providing a virtually endless variety of so-called hard copy output. While originally such systems were used entirely to print images upon paper, in recent years it has been found equally advantageous to print images upon a peel-off sticker bearing media. Thus, sheets of paper shaped in accordance with standard sheet sizes are supported adhesively upon an impervious carrier similar to conventional peel-off stickers. As these sticker sheets are passed through the printer, selected images are placed upon the stickers at the appropriate location by the desktop publishing software.
Not surprisingly, practitioners in the art have been quick to utilize this powerful type of software together with improved faster and more powerful computers to solve various problems and undertake various amusing, educational or entertaining activities. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,932 issued to Kalisher sets forth a STICKER-BASED METHODS OF MAKING A PERSONALIZED CHILDRENS' STORY BOOK using preprinted books with blank areas on various pages. A transparent sticker having personalized text thereon is applied to the blank areas to create a personalized story line in the book.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,339 issued to Cohen sets forth a COMPUTER PICTURE TOY FOR INFANTS AND VERY YOUNG CHILDREN which provides audio-visual stimuli directed to the creation of a picture in response to input by an infant or very young child.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,581 issued to Attenberg sets forth a DIRECT VIEW INTERACTIVE PHOTO KIOSK AND IMAGE FORMING PROCESS FOR SAME having a photo booth coupled to a computer for combining the subject's image with a plurality of background images and for printing multiple copies thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,010 issued to Drake, et al. sets forth a BUMPER STICKER PRINTING MACHINE having an arcade-style enclosure, a computer board and program, a monitor and touch screen and means for feeding a succession of vinyl bumper sticker material to a printer. The customer puts money into the machine and then selects a bumper sticker style which is then printed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,563 issued to Cannon, et al. sets forth a SYSTEM FOR PRINTING SOCIAL EXPRESSION CARDS having a computer system including a color printer and a monitor together with a color scanner for inputting images. The user is able to scan in an image to be used in the resulting printout of a greeting card or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,696 issued to Baldwin sets forth a METHOD OF PREPARING AN IMAGE ACCESS CARD to be used with an image access system. The image access system utilizes a storage medium containing the images and a reference table which includes a series of reference numbers associated with the storage address of each image. A printer may be used to print a human readable representation of the image and a machine readable form of the reference number directly upon a supportive substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,502 issued to Wilkinson, et al. sets forth a DUAL-PLY RESPOSITIONAL WINDOW PRICING LABEL SEPERABLE RECORD SHEATH for producing a vehicle window sticker for pricing and fuel economy information about a motor vehicle. The sticker may be readily positioned and repositioned on the vehicle window and finally removed from the window without leaving an adhesive residue.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,265 issued to Redford, et al. sets forth a PRINTED PUBLICATION REMOTE CONTROL FOR ACCESSING INTERACTIVE MEDIA having the ability to select from a variety of images for producing an interactive book.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,994 issued to Tong sets forth an INTERACTIVE COMPUTER CONTROLLED DOLL having a computing system controlling a doll through a sound processor and a conductive tether.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,907 issued to Chainani, et al. sets forth a METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROGRAMMING TOYS having apparatus for storing a travel direction set within the memory of a microprocessor controlled self-powered toy vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,952 issued to Ziarno sets forth a METHOD OF STREAMLINING THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF A MULTIPLICITY OF CONTRIBUTION OR GIFT COMMITMENTS MADE AT A PLURALITY OF REMOTE LOCATIONS TO DISTRICT FUND-RAISING ORGANIZATIONS AND GIFT RECIPIENTS AND SYSTEM THEREFOR.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have improved the art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved, amusing, interesting and entertaining features to utilize newly developed powerful computers for enhancing various game play.